MAP, Blackboard and IT

My Aston Portal is the web-based system at Aston University that is a single point of contact for many of the services you use at the University as a student. MAP gives students access to student information, including personalised teaching timetables, access to Blackboard and allows them to keep the University up-to-date with addresses and personal details.

Future developments will also allow the viewing of accommodation and finance details directly through MAP. New students will be able to log into MAP once they have completed enrolment and have received their University computer account details.

The Blackboard Learning Systemis the University-supported web-based virtual learning environment that can support a range of online teaching, learning and assessment styles and add value to students’ learning. As it is a web-based system, it can be accessed from any computer with a connection to the Internet. It is integrated with the student record system which ensures that students are automatically enrolled onto Blackboard and can access their programme/modules online. It has an easy-to-use interface and is an ideal way to provide students with support materials such as module outlines, lecture notes, PowerPoint presentations and reading lists, as well as more interactive use of the system through chats and discussions, individual or group assessment exercises and audio and visual materials. You may also be required to submit coursework via Blackboard.

How do we get to Blackboard? From the current students page (http://www.aston.ac.uk/current-students/) click on the My Aston Portal - MAP icon (www.aston.ac.uk/MAP), use your Aston allocated username and password and follow the link to “Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment”.

Ensure your browser is compatible with Blackboard, click here to go onto the TLC site for further details on browser compatibility.

For more information on MAP: http://www.aston.ac.uk/ict/map/. For the logging-in session material used during induction week please visit the 'EAS Undergraduate Information' module on Blackboard.

There are more than 50 computer labs across the University campus. Many labs can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and offer a range of software packages, database systems, modelling tools, computer-aided learning materials and access to online sources of information for research.

Computer labs are categorised as either Open Access or School Specific:

Open Access Labs- these are available to all students regardless of your School of Study.

School Specific Labs - these computer labs offer a range of software packages and tools to suit the particular needs of the school. Access to these labs is restricted to students of that school only

They also have a comprehensive student guide available which may answer many of your enquiries available here. As well as this document you can find lots of handy ‘how to’ guides on their ICT help webpage here.

Aston Tools and TLC (Teaching and Learning Community)

Blackboard is one of the many tools that Aston University use as part of its teaching. Other tools could include: Turnitin, Aston Replay and Pebblepad. To find out more about each of Astons Tools visit the TLC site: http://tlc.aston.ac.uk[B7]

Charges are made for printing on the laser printers provided centrally on the 4th floor of the Main Building (currently 3p per A4 page). You will need to set up an account first. A couple of points worth noting at this stage with regard to the computer facilities are: Firstly, you can purchase computer storage media from the computer shop Room 469,main building.

Secondly, always keep backup copies of your work. Repeating several hours or days work is not fun, and staff will not be sympathetic to the excuse that a disk failure caused you to lose your work, when a back up copy can easily made.